The Spider's Kiss
by Raablyn
Summary: Chapter SEVEN UP! YAY!
1. The Child

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, okay?_

_This is my first Forgotten Realms story fanfic. I really hope all of you people reading like it. I got the drow words from a really cool website. My thanks to that paticular website, because it made this chapter sooo much easier to write._

_I love the Drow race. They're so complex, so evil, sooo . . . drow. You all know what I mean. _

_Those DL fans reading this will notice a resemblence between Mina, Champion of the One God (I love her character, she's so awesome) and Minalylrisse. I decieded to make Minalylrisse (yes I made up that name) have distinct difference from the other drow: her hair. Let's see how she developes before decieding anything else._

_Please, people, read this._

Chapter One.

Childhood Lessons.

The light of Narbondel rose and rose, higher and higher, centimeter by teensy centemeter. She saw the stirrings of activity on the streets so very clearly from the balcony where she stood. She should be away, she knew with certainty: if her sister and weanmother, LiNeerithra, caught her, she'd be in for a vicious scolding, maybe even a lash of a whip. She was a child, yes, but she was a female child, and unlike male children, she was not taught the feel of the whip.

However, LiNeerithra would indeed have her throat.

Sighing, the female turned away and trotted inside the castle. Slipping delicately into shadows, her small form crept across the unfamiliar halls into the center of the castle, the Chapel. Slipping through the doors, she slid over to her sleeping blanket in the far corner of the Chapel. Like all noble drow children, she was raised and trained in and weaned to the Chapel. She was supposed to stay there, sure, but someone (she suspected it was the _Ilharn, _the Patron, though she did not know his name and did not care much anyway) had left the door open a crack, and she'd slipped out, to see Narbondel, for she had heard he two sisters-LiNeerithra and Vrae'Jysala-discussing it. While she hadn't paid much attention-it was diffiecult to pay any attention when one was halfway across the room, polishing an idol of the Queen of the Demonweb-the idea of Narbondel had certainly intrigued her.

However, she hoped to Lolth she hadn't been caught.

LiNeerithra, her elder sister, was sitting erect in her Reverie, when she slipped in. Tip-toing by her, the seven-year-old crept to her bed and curled up, trying to appear asleep.

LiNeerithra was not her sister by blood: she had been a noble of a lowly house of Narbondellyn when her House was attacked and nearly eradicated. LiNeerithra had survived the attack (no one knew why except prehaps LiNeerithra) but the rumors said that she'd made a speical pack with Lolth that had insured her survival. House Qed'Vursys had taken LiNeerithra in, letting her carry the Qed'Vursys name, and,to all, LiNeerithra became a noble of Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess and a daughter of Ilharess Ilhar (the Drow words for 'Matron Mother') Phyrbreena Qed'Vursys and the girl's older sister.

LiNeerithra stirred and stretched, coming out of Reverie. The child curled up beneath her blanket, closing her eyes tightly but keeping her nose where she could breathe and letting her body go limp, hoping her weanmother wouldn't notice.

LiNeerithra, glancing over at the drowling, noticed the ruse imeadiately but didn't say anything, figuring the girl might as well learn. Shaking her long white locks, she peered at teh child's cap of hair that sprawled over the blanket. In the infrared, the child's hair was the same heatless color as everyone else's. In the lighted world, however, her hair showed not as the usual white, but a vivid ruby.

_"Red?" Ilharess Phyrbreena had asked, moving the candle over to better see the newborn babe's locks. Indeed, they were a vivid ruby color, contrasting sharply with the white of the other's hair. _

_"How_ _unusual." Shricice, the eldest daughter of House Qed'Vursys, mused._

_"Red? Prehaps we should give this one to Lolth?" Greyayne, whose mother had been Matron Phyrbreena's younger sister, added, trying to keep the eagerness from her voice and failing._

_Arduldriira, younger than Shricice but older than Greyayne, scowled at her cousin. She was not alone: LiNeerithra and Vrae'Jysala, third daughter of Matron Phyrbreena, joined her in scowling at the troublesome cousin._

_"The child's hair is a different color: red instead of white. Is that different than a baby that is born with grey eyes instead of a shade of red or amber?" LiNeerithra asked._

_"Should we prehaps give _your_ heart to Ilhar Lolth, just because your eyes are grey?" Vrae'Jysala added._

_It was Greyayne's turn to scowl, her grey eyes showing oh-so-clearly in the candlelight next to LiNeerithra's shade of vivid scarlet and Vrae'Jysala's dark maroon. _

_Arduldriira silenced her younger sisters with a look, then turned that look to Greyayne. "Ssst!" she snapped, the hissing signal for silence._

_Jhaelriina, the small female having previously been silent, turned her own eyes-pale green eyes in the clear of the candle-to the child.She was a commoner taken in from the streets and allowed to bear the Qed'Vursys name. Taken in because of her extraordinary clerical promise, the girl still moved with the slight awkwardness that graced most drow commoners, and avoided speaking whever possible._

_"Let us see the child's eyes." Matron Phyrbreena added, no, commanded, coming to stand directly beside Jhaelriina._

_Shricice moved her own candle over the infant and lay her hand on the child's forhead, imparting the mental message of what she wanted the baby to do. Unable to resist the priestess's commands, the child's eyes opened._

_"Amber." Vrae'Jysala remarked, indicating the child's large amber orbs. Delicate, red lashes framed them, and the cool amber brought a slight smirk to Arduldriira's lips as her own eyes, the same hue as her younger sister's, searched the baby's naked body for a hint of deformation._

_There was none. To all eyes, the child appeared perfect. Iharess Phyrbreena nodded approvingly, if tiredly. _

_"What is the babe's name?" asked LiNeerithra, eyeing the child._

_"Minalylrisse." Phyrbreena said shortly, slipping back into her chair and closing her eyes. _

_"Minalylrisse?" Vrae'Jysala murmered. "How strange."_

_"How fitting." She added as her eyes were once again drawn to the child's red locks. The words that made up the name 'Minalylrisse' were 'mi, na, lyl, risse.' which were from the anciant language of the Ilythiiri, the ancestors of the Drow, and ment "She of red locks". _

_"How very fitting."_

_"Well, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys, fourth blood daughter of Matron Phyrbreena and sixth daughter of Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess," Shricice said coldy,blowingout the candles with a delicate breath. They all paused, letting their eyes slip away into the red glow of infravision, Jhaelriina's strill retaining a tint of green, Vrae'Jysala's retaining their dark maroon tint. The child's eyes ceased to be amber and joined her sisters' in a cool red. _

_"It appears you are stuck with us." Shricice ended coldly, drawing chuckles from all the females gathered._

_"Who shall be the child's weanmother?"Jhaelriina asked in mild curiosity, drawing interested stares from Vrae'Jysala, LiNeerithra, and Greyayne._

_Shricice's eyes roamed her four sister's, silently thinking. No, she who had raised Arduldriira, Greyayne, and Vrae'Jysala was simply too busy to take on this sissy child. Too time-consuming. Arduldriira likewise was busy with her duties of High Priestess. She didn't trust Greyayne-the cousin was simply too ambitious and would use the child to her own ends-and Vrae'Jysala, as caretaker of the Chapel, was also too busy. She'd be damned if she was to let awkward Jhaelriina raise the child. _

_LiNeerithra, nearing the status of High Priestess, however, was perfect for the job._

_"LiNeerithra, you shall care and raise this _dalhar_," Shricice began, using the drow word for 'child'. "as a test of the Orbb Valsharess, the Spider Queen." She paused, staring the unhappy young woman straight in the eye, and spoke in dire,chill tones,"To fail me is to fail Lolth." _

_With that, Shricice Qed'Vursys swept out of the chapel, leaving shivers in her wake._

_With a sigh, Arduldriira and Greyayne (Arduldriira keeping a keen eye on her cousin) lifted the Ilharess Ilhar and bore her away to her room to rest. With them gone, only Vrae'Jysala, LiNeerithra, and the baby red-haired child remained in the Chapel. _

_"Good luck to you,_ ussta d'anthe olath dalninil_." Vrae'Jysala nodded to her 'sister', using the drow words for 'my dear dark sister' as the caretaker of the Chapel departed to see to the birth records._

_"Ussta d'anthe olath dalninil." mused LiNeerithra quietly, running a cool hand over the child's red hair._

_"How true."_

LiNeerithra shook her head, shaking away the images of the past. To be caught even slightly off her guard, in chaotic and trecharous Menzoberranzan, was certain and guarenteed death. Gazing coldly at the female child, she swung her foot back and kicked.

The girl-child squeaked in pain as her elder sister's boot found her thigh, and, moving sluggishly enough to (hopefully) convince sly LiNeerithra that she had been sleeping, she hopped to her feet, favoring one leg, for the other sorely stung.

LiNeerithra studied her young charge-she rarely though of the skinny girl as her sister-and sighed as she enacted the mind-read spell. So, the child had wanted to see Narbondel, did she?

And to do so she had disobeyed her elder, a cleric of Lolth?

That could not be tolerated.

"Come with me." she comanded, staring the girl straight in the eye.

The red-haired drowling shifted slightly, but managed to hold still enough.

The two left the main Chamber of the Chapel, heading for one of the small antechambers.

* * *

"Finish it." 

The drowling grimaced in pain despite herself as she finished cleaning an idol of the _Orbb Valsharess, _the Spider Queen, her quick movements opening the whip marks that she now bore. Since she was a female her weanmther had rubbed salve on them, so they wouldn't scar, but they hurt nontheless.

With a sigh, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys set down the idol and picked up another one.

How she hated this.

* * *

"We have been chosen for a surface raid!" 

Minalylrisse peaked up from her work. Well, almost. She did not raise her head-she was more intelligent than to do that with LiNeerithra's sharp eye on her-but she peaked up from the corners.

Three drow stood in the Chapel: one, Minalylrisse easily recognized as LiNeerithra. Two years had passed since Minalylrisse had dared to peak out at Narbondel, and she was nine years old now, nearing the day when cool LiNeerithra would relinquesh her hold over her charge. Yet that day was slow, unbearably slow, to the child.

The other two she did not know.

Minalylrisse had never seen a male drow. The only drow she had ever seen where her weanmother, LiNeerithra, and occasionally Vrae'Jysala, the keeper and caretaker of the chapel. Even on days whenher mother, the Ilharess Ilhar Phyrbreena, conducted the dark and sacred (and often bloody) rites of the Dark Mother, the Olath Ilhar, the young girl-child had always remained standing erect between Vrae'Jysala and LiNeerithra, mouth close and arms pinned to her sides. Because she was female, and not a lowly male, Minalylrisse was permitted to witness the rites with her eyes while male children must pin them to the floor. And only then had she seen the females: her elder sisters, though she did not know their names, and the Matron Mother.

But now she saw the male drow she had always been told were her lessers.

They were indeed smaller, she noted initially. Shorter than LiNeerithra, and slightly thinner. Their hair was as thick and lustrous as LiNeerithra's, as her own fiery waves, though cropped shorter: where LiNeerithra's pearly hair shimmered just below her hip, the male's came only a little past their shoulders. Their eyes, however . . .

Their eyes.

The elder male's eyes were cold and hard and the vivid color of blood. Wary and with the slightly paranoid, slightly insane look of the drow, they swallowed up Minalylrisse and gave nothing back. No warmth. No light. Malicious and merciless and sadistic, even by the standards of the drow, they glowed, and looking into those eyes was like looking through ice to see fire.

With a distinct shudder, Minalylrisse drew her eyes away from the male's, and noticed as she did so that he was wearing robes. Not the black-and-red-and-purple robes of a High Priestess, such as the robes that LiNeerithra wore, but pure black robes, embrodiered with black spiders, the thread magically warmed to show against the rest of the lifeless robes. The robes of a wizard, asMinalylrisse had been taught. When he shifted her arm, she saw that he wore a suit of supple chainmail beneath the black, black robes.

She shifted her eyes from him and looked to the other. A quick breath later, she was raising herhead, albeit slightly. She had never seen a drow warrior, but she had heard the tales of her sister, tales of surface raids on the evil Faeries and tales of battles against the wicked gnomes and other horrors, such as monsters of the Underdark.

He was tall, only slightly smaller than LiNeerithra, who was in turn tall for a dark elf. Silver chainmail beneath black armor, cunningly crafted and beautifully fitted and bearing the sacred symbol of Lolth, clothed him, as did his dark piwafwi, thrown casually back from his shoulders. Two long and slender swords adorned his hip, as did a wickedly sharp dagger, a long and curled whip, a small hand-held crossbow, and two cases of quarrles, along with two healing potions and a potion of cold, all three marked with Lolth's symbol. His head was high, a proud tilt to the chin, and a hint of a cocky smile forever reigned on his dark lips.

"When did you recieve the news?"

"Hatch'net just informed me, myself being the master of the sqaud." the cocky male answered back.

"A raid . . . how lucky you are, Nalrysin." LiNeerithra did a marvelous job of hiding her jealousy.

Nalrysin smirked, casting the envious female a flash of white teeth. "You do me less than I most definately deserve, Ssin'urn Uss, Beautiful One."

"You watch your words, Streeaka Uss." LiNeerithra warned the saucy male, moving her hand toward her snake whip.

The cold-eyed male interupted, holding up a hand.

"Yes, Valvyll? Since wizards are not permitted to take part in the raids, why are you here? Surely the Master of Sorcere has other duties than accumpanying a younger brother to his destination." it was an obvious insult, but cunningly so.

"Ah, no, Ssin'urn Uss." the male, the one named Valvyll, answered with a sly tilt to his voice.

"Lyst Uss." was all LiNeerithra cared to reply, the drow words for 'sly one', waving the drow warrior away. He took his leave with a cocky bow and drew his piwafwi around his shoulders as he went, closing the door on his heels.

LiNeerithra and Valvyll moved toward the shadows, and Minalylrisse could hear no more.

Nor did she care to.

* * *

"The surface?" Minalylrisse asked LiNeerithra once the two were alone again. 

Minalylrisse had heard tales of the wicked surface, yes. Vrae'Jysala had told her a few, all about the vile, hating wretches that were her surface cousins and the whiny, stupid humans and dirty, sullen dwarves. These tales had been horrific and frightning, and Minalylrisse suspected Vrae'Jysala took the time to tell these awful tales only because she enjoyed the child's fear. Minalylrisse had never really had it described to her, though.

LiNeerithra took a second to look at the timid girl, weighing the gains she would make by going through with the child's undeniable request. "What of it?"

"I heard there was going to be a surface raid . . . "

"Do you know what a surface raid is?" LiNeerithra asked, turning her attention away from Minalylrisse to her snakewhip.

"Ahh . . . no. I don't." Minalylrisse confessed.

LiNeerithra didn't bother to even flicker her eyes. "First, do you know of the vile wretches we call cousin?"

"No . . . not entirely . . . Vrae'Jysala . . . " Minalylrisse's voice trailed off into a whisper.

LiNeerithra decided to simply ignore the girl's stuttering. "The Faeries, the surface elves, are traitors. We walked beside them, once, millenium ago. We called them kin, those wretches. We did not know-could not know-that they were the very embodiment of deciete and evil, that they would turn on us, driving us away at the point of blood-stained sword. They drove us to the ends of the world, and we teetered on collaspe."

Minalylrisse listened, eyes wide.

LiNeerithra's face twisted suddenly, her eyes flaring. "But then we found the Goddess, sacred, blessed Lolth! It was she who took our orphaned race, abandoned by the false gods of the faeries, to her side, she that helped us strike back at the vile faeries! She that guided us home, to the Underdark, to what would become Menzoberranzan, beautiful Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders. And later, the City of Shimmering Webs, Ched Nasad. And after that, the City of Darkness, Shei'Alaunisstree. It was she that provided the soothing darkness in which to rest our weary eyes, she that gave us power and magic beyond any of the surface dweller's wildest dreams!"

Minalylrisse was silent, stunned slightly.

"The surface is a vile place, Young Drowling. Every day, the ceiling glows a vivid, bright blue that stings the eyes. But even more, a great ball of flame, millions of times more painful than the punishments of the Clerics, burns above the land, searing it. The _sssiks, _the hated Sun, burns the flesh of the Faerie Elves and the wretched Humans, sucks the color from the Faeries's flesh and tints Human flesh an unhealthy, uglyreddish-pink. Even as teh flames sear and burn, the wind, for up there is wind, blows, bringing coldness and misery and stinging frozen water. There is no beauty up there. Not the blessed Darkness down here, the warmth of the earth's breast, the trum of the world's power!"

Minalylrisse cheered, other questions forgotten.

* * *

Eight months later, Minalylrisse - or Mina, as she was nicknamed - turned _szith_, ten, and was relinqueshed from LiNeerithra's care and placed in the Chapel as a servant to Vrae'Jysala, the _K'lar d'Lolth Lani, _the 'Location of Lolth Keeper', and spent the next six years in her care. 

Then came her sixteenth birthday, and that marked the beginning of a chain of events that would change Menzoberranzan forever.

* * *

_Review . . . please . . . I'll thank you forever . . . _

_Please review!_


	2. Conspiracies

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Thank you._

Chapter Two.

Conspiracies.

Vrae'Jysala Qed'Vursys, third daughter of Matron Mother Phyrbreena Qed'Vursys, sighed as she sat back in her chair. The slender female lifted her slim, delicate hands and pressed them against her eyes, feeling with relief their warmth pressed against her eyelids. She sighed and let her body relax, though only slightly, for to relax in back-stabbing Menzoberranzan amounted to about the same thing as pressing a dagger against your own throat.

The female abruptly dropped her hands from her eyes and eyed the unwelcome paper in front of her with utter hate. "Xsa." she muttered beneath her breath, the drow word for 'damn.'

A second look brought an even more profound curse from the female.

As Keeper of the Chapel, the K'lar d'Lolth Lani, (Location of Lolth Keeper), Vrae'Jysala was in charge of the overall condition of the family chapel, the birth records, the death records, thetrade records, etc. etc. etc. So far, what she saw was not what she liked.

"Oh, xsa dos jal ulu uoi'nota." she muttered venomously, straightening sharply so that her chair verily tipped over. A goblin slave, stripped to the waist and graced with vicious scars across its hunched back and shoulders, lept to catch the chair and right it. It did not exactly suceed, sliding across the floor to collapse entangled with the chair, but Vrae'Jysala was too preoccupied to pay attention to the terrified slave - much to its profound relief. Resting one hand easily on the reassuring, cool adamtite handle of her snakewhip so casually worn at her slender waist, the drow stalked from the room, scattering slaves in her wake. When a group of goblins did not move fast enough to suit the ill-temperedVrae'Jysala, a swift snap of the whip literarily swept the vermin from her path. The female was in no mood to look upon the ugly groveling things.

Stalking from the Room of Records to her own private chambers, Vrae'Jysala collapsed into a chair, somehow making so exhasted an act look amazingly graceful. Black cloth wrapped around theHigh Priestess, but that alone would have been inappropriate to the eyes of a surface dweller as it alone showed off her lithe and shapely legs, arms and graceful neck to a great degree. Black robes, loosely worn over the cloth dress, covered the female's legs and arms and were embrodiered with the sacred red-and-purple symbols of Lolth that marked her as a High Priestess of the Spider Queen. When she moved, one could see the silver glint of chainmail beneath the robes and cloth dress. On a slender belt adorned with rubies and _sil'ilos, _the rare violet-colored gems found only in the Underdark, hung her trusted snake-whip and two slender maces designed to look like spiders and blessed by Lolth, along with a slender dirk, her hand-crossbow, a case of darts and four scroll-cases for when there was no time to recite spells. Daggers rested at her wrists, in her boots, and at her waist.

Despite her guardings, Vrae'Jysala did not expect to do battle this day. This was her place: no one entered without her knowledge.

Stretching delicately, themaroon-eyed drow femalerose from the chair and began to pace the room, head bowed and hands clasped behind her back, thinking hard.None ofthe kobolds or goblins were fool enough to get inher path.

Afterabout several minutes of this, Vrae'Jysala halted suddenly and snapped a commanding glare upon the nearest slave, a rather skinny goblin. "You." the goblin froze and stared pointedly at the floor. "Get me LiNeerithra Qed'Vursys."

The slave scurried for the door, too slow for Vrae'Jysala's impatience. "Now." she snapped after it as it broke into a run.

SIghing, the female slipped onto the floor, robes and dress whispering against the stone, and fell into a meditative position. Silently she searched herself for the inner core of cool patience that she had always within her. She used it to burn away the hot impatience of her anger and let it take the anger's place, feeling the mental coolness wash over her. The physical coolness as the anger faded happened moments later.

Now fully composed, Vrae'Jysala rose and swiftlytucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, running her hands down her dress, smoothing it. Moving to the chair once more, she satdown in it and rested her hands comfortably on her arms of the chair, leaning back slightly but positioning her feet so she could leap out of the chair imeadiately, should the time arise.

The goblin slave scrambled back in, this time with a drow female a few years younger than Vrae'Jysala in tow. "Mistress LiNeerithra Qed'Vursys, Mistress."the goblin bowed repeatedly and stupidly to both females as it backed out of the room.

LiNeerithra swept in, nodding regally to her sister and spreading her hands. "Well met, my dear sister."

Vrae'Jysala aknowledged this with a nod of her own. "And you. Please do be seated, my dear adopted sister. We have much to . . . discuss."

LiNeerithra nodded again and seated herself in the chair.

"The birth rate of females in the city has gone down." LiNeerithra binked."In fact, our family is one of the few that has more female children than males."

LiNeerithra nodded.

"Many of the upper Houses grow week - you know why."

"Lack of priestesses and clerics alike."

"Correct. There was one family in paticular - House Tovsr'raen - that is unusually week."

"Oh? How so?"

"A young - very young - matron, not yet seen her hundreth year, and only two daughters, neither of them High Priestesses yet. The youngest is not even out her childhood!"

"What rank does House Tovsr'raen hold?"

"Eigth House."

LiNeerthra nodded. House Qed'Vursys, asTwelth House, would profit from a coop against Tovsr'raen. Considering, she leaned back, eyes on her sister. "And, if we were to inform Matron Phyrbreena about this weak House, would that by any chance inturrupt our plans?"

Vrae'Jysala shook her head. "No: not that I know of. I believed for a minute they might, but I know how to avoid that unwelcome event."

LiNeerithra nodded. "In that case . . . "

Vrae'Jysala smiled. "To us." She proclaimed, lifting one of her maces into the air. LiNeerithra imeadiately tipped her chair back out of range.

Vrae'Jysala smiled. "Fear not, dear sister, I do not seek your death. Be a good girl and toast with me."

LiNeerithra, not seeing any plot, but certainly not trusting the devious drow, responded in kind, keeping her weapon out long after Vrae'Jysala had replaced her own.

"You may leave now." Vrae'Jysala gestured towards the door. LiNeerithra, ever suspecting, narrowed her eyes slightly but rose to leave.

"Oh, and dear," LiNeerithra froze. Vrae'Jysala hid a smirk behind her words, "if you happen to see our dear cousin Greyayne, do inform her that I would delight in being in her company again. So much we have to discuss. You must join us."

LiNeerithra smirked at her sister. "My pleasure, Vrae'Jysala. Of course." Inclining her head, the drow left the room.

Outside the door, she paused and allowed herself to breathe. She had not been found out, after all. Glory be to Lolth, that was close! Shaking her head, the female composed herself and swept away.

Inside the room, having risen from her chair, Vrae'Jysala nodded to herself.

Things were indeed going as planned

* * *

_Please . . . review . . . please . . . review . . . (hint hint)._

_Danke!_


	3. Accession

_Disclaimer: I claim the Qed'Vursys family, espeically Minalylrisse, as my own characters, though I do not own Wizards of the Coast, the drow race, the forgotten realms, etc. etc. etc._

_My thanks to RA Salvatore for making this chapter possible._

_Oh - 'jalil' is the drow word for female. _

_And thank you to all who are reading!_

Chapter Three.

Accession

Valvyll Qed'Vursys followed his younger sister, Vrae'Jysala, through the winding halls of House Qed'Vursys, heading for the chapel. Today was an important day for House Qed'Vursys, the day one of the younger females - Valvyll forgot her name - became an adult.

Valvyll cared little for this, only wanting to be done with it. The Master of Sorcere despised the female clerics, hating the fact that he, a wizard of great power who might one day rival Gromph Baenre, must bow and scrape before this new girl-child who could not master the simplist of clerical spells, simply because he was a male. He hated the fact that he must remain two steps behind Vrae'Jysala, whom he had seen born from the pedestel of power and adulthood. Most of all, he despised his sister, Shricice, damn her bones.

Shricice was in fact Valvyll's twin, though Valvyll had been the later born. Valvyll had witnessed his sister's rise to power, greater power than he, a mere male, could ever know, while he himself halted upon the spiderweb of accession and stared hungrily upward.

Oh so hungrily.

The male came out of his thoughts just in time to halt his foot from squashing a spider who had seen fit to scurry into his path. Arrogant little midget. Valvyll wanted nothing more than to slam his foot down, annihilating the thing. Only the thought of what the heartless Vrae'Jysala would do to him if she happened to witness that act of sacrilage halted his foot. Grinding his teeth, he halted in his steps and let the creature pass.

Vrae'Jysala, now a few steps in front of him, had witnessed the whole thing through the corner of her eye, and smirked to herself as she saw an oppertunity present itself in the male's lack of ability to keep up with her, an oppertunity too good to pass up.

Half-turning, she called in condescending tones, "Do keep up with me, you slow male, and if you can't complete that simple act, you can at least try, instead of standing there idle. Do hurry up! We will be late, and I doubt Matron Phyrbreena will be please when she learns that it was your fault that stayed us."

Valvyll clenched his teeth together, entertaining himself with the satisfying vision of a collision between theproud female and one of his fireballs as he resumed walking.

Vrae'Jysala smirked again, knowing that the irate and frusterated male could not see her. She so enjoyed putting too-arrogant males in their place, and Valvyll deserved it so!

The pair reached the double doors of the chapel's entrence without further incidence, and Vrae'Jysala shoved open the doors before the two female guards could open them, nearly slamming into Valvyll in the meanwhile. Deftly sliding past, the male joined the female.

The chapel was made entirely of black marble, obsidian, and jet. With a high, high ceiling, many collums - all hiding idols and icons of the Spider Queen - the ntire place seemed lost in shadow. Purple and red light, issuing from the lamps that Valvyll's sisters and cousin held, cast the whole place into deeper shadow, playing across the dark elves' features and obscurring movements. Valvyll could not help but feel uneasy.

Seated on a throne of jet on the central dais, in front of a beautiful, jeweled idol of the Mother of Lusts, was Matron Phyrbreena Qed'Vursys. Tall for a dark elf - more close to six feet than five - the Matron was stunningly beautiful. Long, lustrous white hair fell to her wrists, her skin was therich color of blackest satin, her eyes, showing clearly in the light of the Spider Queen's lamps, were a stark red the color and texture of rubies, her entire figure slender and lithe and regal. Dressed in simple but elegent black robes, with silver spiders gleaming on her ears, the Matron was undeniably beautiful and youthful, her belly swollen in the last months of pregnancy. The current patron stood behind her throne, all but his eyes invisible.

At her right was Shricice, at her left, Arduldriira, each bearing a Lamp: Shricice's glowing gentle purple that tinted her cold red eyes, Arduldriira's a vivid red that warmed her own amber ones. Both looked like minature copies of Phyrbreena, shorted of hairand dressed more elaborately, prehaps.

Next to Shricice, grey eyes showing clearly in her red lamp, Greyayne stood, her expression slightly sulky but undeniablyalluring. Next to Arduldriira stood LiNeerithra, red eyes shiningin her purple lamp.A servant handed Vrae'Jysala apurple lamp, and she took her place next to Greyayne, maroon eyes gleaming wickedly. Jhaelriina, shoulders slightly hunched, held a red lamp as she stood beside LiNeerithra, her own red eyes darting wariy from face to dark face.

"Matron Mother Phyrbreena," Vrae'Jysala began in her most revent voice, speaking from her place in line. "I present to you Valvyll, as requested."

Valvyll, bowing,took his place beside his younger brother, Nalrysin, facing the back of the idol. Farther up, between the face of the idol and the face of the Matron, stood a young girl, wearing nothing but a black cloth dress that wrapped around her top and fell in two wide ribbons to her ankles. In the red-and-purple light spectrem, the girl hair - no less lustrous or thick than that of her sisters' - should clearly as a vivid, fiery red as it cascaded halfway down her back. Large amber eyes darted beneath long, crimson lashes as the child looked from face to face.

"We are all present, then." Matron Phyrbreena's silvern voice rang out, tempered by mystery. With a nod, shemotioned to Shricice, who produced a _piwafwi _embrodiered with the insignia of House Qed'Vursys and walked up to the child. "For sixteen years, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys, of Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess, you have breathed the air of Menzoberranzan.In the eyes of Lolth, you have passed out of your childhood. Thus,before the eyes of Lolth, I do name you an adult, and afull noble of House Qed'Vursys, Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess. _Wun lil sol d'Lolth, Usstan xun kaas dos nau verve natha dalhar jhal aln waelin jalil. Kla'ath Lolth al." _Chanting, the drow female draped the piwafwi around the child's-the adult's-small shoulders, clasping it at her neck.

"Now for the female's future." Arduldriira announced.

"She is a female, and a noble. By the _Ilstar d'Lolth_, the Laws of Lolth, she will be sent to Arach-Tinilith on the onset of her fortieth birthday. Until then, the female's place will be first to learn the basics of Lolth from her elder sisters-" here the Matron nodded to her daughters,"-for ten years, and to learn the basics of swordmanship from Nalrysin for five years, and the basics of wizardry from Valvyll for five years, so that she may be no stranger to the goddess or blade or amber rod upon her steps into Tier-Breche. After that, she is to spend the remaining four years again with her sisters, learning her place within the ranks of Lolth, what is expected of her in Tier-Breche, and her place in Menzoberranzan."

Arduldriira, LiNeerithra, and Vrae'Jysala nodded. Greyayne remained her usual sulking silence, Jhaelriina awkwardly looked at the child, but Shricice scrutinized her with a keen eye. Valvyll and Nalrysin both studied the young female who was to be their student, Valvyll in the disgust that he would have to devote five years of his time to teaching the girl his sacred Art, Nalrysin in study of her balance and poise.

Minalylrisse, allowed for the first time to look upon the drow that were her kin, thought about it. A drow noble! Inwardly she smiled. But she did not like what she new the coming years held for her. A student of Valvyll, the frightning cold-eyed wizard? Secretly she feared him. And she too feared Shricice, the cold-eyed female, and even shifted her weight from one foot to another beneath her stern gaze.

"This gathering draws to its finish." Matron Phyrbreena clapped her hands together sharply, making all jump. "Jhaelriina, take the young female away." the Matron Mother's stern eyes fell to Minalylrisse. "You do not yet know what is expected of you, little flame-haired child of mine. But you will learn. And I expect you to learn quickly. And when you do learn what is expected of you, I expect you to exceed those expectations." with a wave, the Matron Mother gestured to the doors.

* * *

The two females entered the room - one of Vrae'Jysala's quateres - and stood. 

"This is where I stay?" Minalylrisse asked, taking in account the dark room, though to both of the drow's eyes it appeared a mirad of colors. Minalylrisse stared around, taking in the sights.

"Your home, yes, for the next ten years." Vrae'Jysala remarked, eyeing the child.

"What am I to learn?" Minalylrisse asked curiously, staring around the room.

"In your first year of Arach-Tinilith, you will learn dogma, ritual, divine magic, the arts of torture, sacrifice, among others. Some topics - such as dogma, ritual, divine magic, et cetera, you will be expected to know a little of. Others will be solely new to you as a novice. These next ten years will be spent learning these. Any questions? I see not. Then take your seat,_ jalil_, and rest up for tomarrow's lessons. I do not want a tired student, and neither do my sisters. And you do not want a frusterated teacher. Besides, there are other, subtler arts you must learn. So rest up, _jalil_. Tomarrow we begin, five hours after Narbondel's rise of light."

Vrae'Jysala swept herself out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Left alone, Minalylrisse wandered about the room, seeing to it. All the female found were a few coins tucked away into the drawer - she tucked these into her neckpurse - and a change of clothes: black cloth wrap dresses, black robes, belts, all minature replicas of the clothing worn by the elder females. Nothing else. The room was sparsely furnished, with a small bed, a chair, a dresser, and a small statuette of Lolth placed in the corner of the room.

Minalylrisse walked over to the statuette and studied it. The skin of the statuette was carved out of shining obsidian, polished and well-cared for. The statuette's hair was carved out of ivory, with delicate twists and turns, and it shone like pearl, gleaming down to the statuette's delicate ankles. The statuette's eyes were hard, gleaming rubies set in ivory set in obsidian, and seemed to glow with a sinister inner fire. The statuette's lips were dark red, and curled in an amused smirk. One delicate, shapely hand held a carved spider in it, the other held a carved whip, a replica of teh Priestess's own wicked snakewips. But this one, instead of having four or five heads, had eight, and every one of them had gleaming golden eyes, as each snake curled around the legs, arms, and slender hips of the statuette. The statuette was nearlynaked, save for a simple, jeweled colthdress wrapped around it, and not a detail had been missed. Minalylrisse admired the statuette withtrue admiration, thinking_, this is my goddess._

Minalylrisse though her quite beautiful.

Satisfied withher search of the room, thered-haired female approached thebed and lay down, placing her hands over her heart and slipping into the sleep of reverie.

She had no idea that that moment marked her accession, though to what she might never truly understand.

* * *

_Please review._

_I would like to know what you think. Could I improve somewhere? How? Do you like this? If not, why?_

_Please review._

_Bel'la dos!_


	4. Hardened Amber

Chapter Four.

Hardened Amber.

"Lolth, the Dark Mother, the Mother of Lusts, the Spider Queen, the Queen of the Demonweb Pits." Minalylrisse murmured, her eyes lowered.

"Correct."

Vrae'Jysala, Minalylrisse's teacher, her _an'kin, _nodded, the infrared glow of her dark red eyes bobbing slowly. Minalylrisse, her eyes on the floor, felt the movement as much as followed that glow out of the corner of her amber eye.

"These are the facts of our goddess that you must learn." Vrae'Jysala continued. Minalylrisse stood still. She always stood still. To not stand still asked for a slap, or a lash of the tongue or the whip. Why risk it?

"Lolth is the mother of our race. As a drow, you are a child of Lolth, a _dalhar d'Lolth._ This is a great honor, because the drow are Lolth's chosen, as are spiders. To aid a _colnbluth_, a nondrow, against a drow is a sin, because you have aided a creature that is not Lolth's chosen child against a creature that is Lolth's chosen child. As a female, you are a mortal incarnation of the Goddess, as are all female drow. And as a mortal incarnation of the Spider Queen, you, as a female, are superior to a male. Understand."

"Yes, mistress."

Minalylrisse had heard this before. In fact, she and Vrae'Jysala went over it twice a day, every day, and had for the past nine years.

These past nine years had been spent learning the basics: such as the reverence of arachnids, the worship of the Spider Queen, what place the clerics held in drow society, the superiority of female drow to male drow, et cetera, as well as basic prayers and chants. These past nine years had also been spent serving her sisters and mother and being told her place, over and over again, as well as learning the basic care of an idol.

For the idol of the Queen of the Demonweb Pits that resided in Minalylrisse's room had been placed in her care for the last nine years. She had learned to wash it, to shine it, to dress it, etc. etc. etc. She would have never thought that a statuette required so much care!

Nine years. Nine seconds, minutes, hours, years, all seemed to blend together in one monotonous existence, the words repeating over and over. Minalylrisse wouldnot be the least surprised if the words had been engraved on her brain. Perhaps they were.

But, she thought, aware that Vrae'Jysala was probably reading her thoughts at this very moment, and not wanting to appear nonattentive, or worse, bored, she stiffened and conjured a look of awe in her eyes. It was a feeble conjure, but it dispelled any doubts Vrae'Jysala had of her pupil's interest in the subject.

Not that Vrae'Jysala was paying that much attention to her. She, LiNeerithra, Jhaelriina, and Greyayne had taken turns teaching these basic lessons over . . . and over . . . and over again. Sooner or later, the words would be engraved in the girl's mind, and that was all that really needed to be done. The _Jabbressen,_the Mistresses, at Arach-Tinilith would do the rest.

Vrae'Jysala nodded, again to herself. Her job - their job - was nearly done. The time for this would be up soon, on the girl's - she could hardly be called a girl anymore - twenty-sixth birthday. After that, five years with Nalrysin, then five years with Valvyll. The thought of her older, arrogant brother teaching this female brought a wicked smile to Vrae'Jysala's dark lips. Maybe Minalylrisse would remind the male of the House's true power: the _jalilen_, the females.

Maybe not. Valvyll was conceited for even a male wizard. Years away from the watchful eyes of his sisters and mother had boldened him and strung him unbearably high. Sometimes it was all she could do to keep from wringing his scrawny neck.

(Quick drow grammer lesson: to make a word plural, if it ends in a consanent, add _en_. If it ends in A, e, i, o, or u just add _n_. If it ends in g or k, add _gin _or _kin_. So, for example, the word _females_ would be _jalilen_, the word _dances _wouldbecome _lil'aluren - lil'alure _is the nonplural - and the word _haruk _- which means _doom_ - would become either harukin or harukkin, it depends on the dilelect.)

Minalylrisse - Mina to those who cared or simply did not want to bother with her full name. After all, there was nothing she could do about it, not even being a minor cleric, to punish them- stood still and waited patiently for Vrae'Jysala to continue. At twenty-five, she was a delicate creature possessing the childish beauty of a twelve-year-old human child: straight-backed and slender as a rapier, with delicate bones, large amber eyes, almost waist-length white hair that shone with acopper brilliance, and satin black skin. Dressed in a simple, unjeweled black clothdress, high, soft leather boots, and a purple-black piwafwi, she was hardly threatening. Her amber irises were large and soft, having yet to harden. This, above all else, marked her as young.

Right now, her amber eyes were on the floor as she darted her gaze from foot to booted foot, eyes dancing in the soft light given off by one of Lolth's lamps.

Vrae'Jysala gave her foot a hard _tap_ to regain her audience and, sighing inwardly, resumed her lecture. Mina nodded repeatedly but was not truly listening. She could have recited the very same words that were now coming from her elder sister's dark lips, she knew them so well. She did her best to look interested.

* * *

"She is young." 

Arduldriira nodded demurely to Shricice, carefully keeping her glowing red eyes from making direct contact with Shricice's. Even in the world of infravision, those ruby irises sent a very cold and very pronounced shiver up Arduldriira's spine.

Arduldriira Qed'Vursys was a fullseventy years younger than Shricice - not long at all to the long-lived drow who would live to see seven centuries, or more, if they were extremely lucky - but as long as Arduldriira could remember, Shricice had been there, cold-eyed and frost-tongued. Shricice was a two-legged spider: coniving, cold, merciless, and sadistic. A wicked five-tongued snake whip danced at her waist, the vipers careful to keep out of Shricice's way. Smart snakes.

Arduldriira studied her sister's attire with her own hard amber eyes, hiding the gaze from too-curious LiNeerithra and cool Vrae'Jysala. The four of them were sitting in the antichamber of Mina's room, gazing through the invisible wall at the young drow. Greyayne was in charge of Mina today: Jhaelriina was off with Matron Phyrbreena, consulting several plans for a possible coup against a weak house. The tiny male child placed in her care was being watched by a lesser cleric, a commoner, in anther part of the Chapel.

Most drow females dressed to impress. Silk clothdresses, cleverly embrodiered robes, beautiful and sometimes creepy jewelry, all were seen on a regular basis.

Shricice Qed'Vursys did not fit this rule.

She wore a simple, black satin clothdress that was wrapped in the paticular way that hid a number of daggers, amulets, and other weapong that the First Sister of the noble House happened to carry on her person. Dark ankle-length robes bearing embrodiery in the usual red and purple wrapped around her, concealing yet more weapons, and a shimmering, purple-black piwafwi covered her shoulders. Her alabaster hair was braided and wrapped around her head, tying in a knot at her throat. Black chaimail was slit beneath all of this, acting as though it were a thick shirt, as a number of other armor. Her belt, tight at her slender waist, housed two nasty-looking maces, her whip, a ruby-hilted dagger, a handcrossbow, three cases of bolts, several scrolls and wands.

This, coupled with her unusual height - she was quite tall for a dark elf, though no less slender - her catlike grace, cold eyes, delicate features, and many other aspects made her a very real threat. Beautiful, but in a cold, chill, lethal way.

But most prominent was her staff.

The Staff of Veldrilorbben, it was called. A slender, black, facited globe of obsidian sat atop a slender, black, long rod. A silver ring joinged the two, and protruding from the ring were eight silver, ruby-embeddedspider legs that curled around the orb - though not touching it -and formed a very sharp point just an inch or so above it. All of the legs were tipped with black, and silver rings spiralded down from the single ring around the staff, where countless runes and spells were embedded, in the silver rings and in the staff itself.

It stood as high as the slender drow maid herself, its tip roughly the same level as the braids looped around the High Priestess's head. She held it firmly with one hand, the other resting on her hip, seconds away from closing over any one of her weapons. She made sure of this.

"Indeed she is."LiNeerithra murmered, moving forward towards the wall. Shricice's cold stare silenced her and halted her, reminding the female of her place. Lowering her own ruby-glowing eyes, LiNeerithra bowed her head, her own fingers gently brushing the tip of her own whip.

That was all. LiNeerithra did not dare invoke Shricice's wrath.

Vrae'Jysala, cooling ignoring the actions of her sisters, eyed the girl from behind Arduldriira, who of course knew exactly what she was doing. Vrae'Jysala was as ambitious as any of her drow kin, and, as the third blood daughter of Ilharess Phyrbreena, she could improve her own status to second blood daughter with a carefully aimed flick of a poisoned dagger. Arduldriira had to look out for her.

Shricice coldly ignored her sisters' motions, studying the girl Mina herself. In the dark, cold light of the Dark Mother's lamps, her amber eyes and copper hair shone eerily when compared to Greyayne's cold grey eyes and drab white hair.

The four were silent.

"Is it time to see whether or not she is strong enough to advance in her life?" Arduldriira broke the silence, adressing Shricice.

Vrae'Jysala and LiNeerithra watched both of them with mild curiosity.

Shricice nodded. "Yes. It is. Make the arrangements immeadiately."

"_Xas_, Mistress." LiNeerithra murmered, the drow word for yes, nodding her head as she bowed and left the room. Vrae'Jysala nodded herself and followed.

When the First and Second Daughters of House Qed'Vusys, blood or otherwise, were alone together, Arduldriira turned to Shricice once more. "Are you completely certain about this? The child could be killed."

"What do you care? It is a male, not yet a decade old! If it dies, and a new priestess is gained in the process, the cost no where equals the reward." With those haughty words, Shricice existed, leaving the amber-eyed High Priestess to watch Mina through the seeing wall.

* * *

Mina knew something was up the moment she saw the six High Priestesses enter the room together. Scrambling to her feet, she locked her gaze on the floor as Shricice approached her. 

Mina had seen her eldest sister only once before, at her ceremony of maturity. But that one sighting, coupled with her sisters' fearful whispering of her name, had suceeded in terrifying the drow female into absolute fear of the tall, imposing female.

Shricice walked forward to stand right in front of Mina. "Do you know what day it is?"

"No, Mistress."

"It is the day we will see whether you are strong or weak." Shricice went silent, watching Mina.

Strong? Weak? Mina felt a cold feeling in her stomach. She swallowed. It did nothing to calm her racing heart or to wet her dry throat.

"Look at me."

Now Mina was at a total loss. Look at Mistress Shricice? Her whole life had been spent learning to keep her eyes on the ground. Now was she permited to raise them?

Shricice raised one of her slender, delicate hands, and Mina realized that she had not obeyed Shricice. Bracing herself, she watched the hand come nearer out of the corner of her eye.

Instead, the cold hand grabbed her chin, and lifted her head to stare into her eyes.

Mina stared, locked in the gaze of those twin red, cold pools. She could not move, and for a moment she was paralyzed with fear. She didn't dare to even blink.

Shricice abuptly let go of the girl's chin. Mina, surprised, kept it in the same position as when Shricice had been holding it, staring still. The next swing was the snap of the whip, and Mina was sprawled out on the ground.

"Answer me, child." Shricice stared at her youngest sister. "Was staring at me after I removed my hand obedience or arrogance?"

Mina's mind raced as only a drow placed in a potentially lethal situation could. "Obedience, Mistress?"

"Is that a question or an answer."

Mina changed the tone, trying to make it sutiably firm. "Obedience, Mistress."

Shricice stared hard, and a lick of sweat trailed past Mina's eyes, but Shricice nodded. Turning away, she swept from the room. Without questioning, Jhaelriina approached Mina and roughly grabbed her, lifting her from the floor and steering her out the room. The other four priestesses followed.

Mina was steered into the chapel, where, to her panic and confusion, Matron Phyrbreena sat on her throne. Two male stood at her sides, two steps below the throne. The patron and the Wepons Master, her elder brother, Mina realized, remembering the cocky male from her childhood. Nylras? Nalryseen?

It did not matter, she decided, as she was wheeled in and abruptly let go of, for the second time that day, before the Matron Mother. Quickly, she fell to her knees. Better safe than sorry.

The daughters of House Qued'Vursys spread out to the sides to watch. Only the family was present. Mina noticed that Jhaelriina was gone.

However, the Jhaelriina in question returned at that moment, a young male child at her heels. Mina felt curiosity fill her. The boy was not ten years of age, yet, but nearing.

Her curiosity increased when the male child was placed to her side. The child immeadiately fell flat to the floor in a groveling position. Mina was roughly picked up again and turned so that she was facing him. She noticed that Vrae'Jysala, standing behind her, now held a small chest.

Before she could say or do anything - not that she was much for trying - Mina found that Arduldriira had thrust her snake-whip into Mina's hand.

Mina stared at the whip. So did the male child. His eyes filled with fear.

"You see what I have?" Vrae'Jysala spoke, commanding Mina's attention. She and LiNeerithra raised the lid of the chest and brought out two finely carved maces, looking like spider web frozen and engraved with runes. Mina's eyes settled on them. She could not help it. They were beautiful.

Vrae'Jysala noted her sister's gaze. Smiling, she slipped the maces back into the chest. "That is not all. This, too-" she drew out a necklace of elegent silver chain that looked amazingly like spiderwedwith a small obsidian spider set with rubies and violetstones dangling from it. "and this-" out came a small gold ring in the shape of a spider, set with a small emerald. "-and much more."

She paused as she replaced the items.

"All you have to do to prove you are strong enough for these items and for you continual breathing is to whip your younger brother."

Mina stared at Vrae'Jysala, then at the whip of writhing snakes in her hand, then at the child. She had not missed the last sentence, nor did she mistake it's meaning.

_What is more important, male? _she wondered. _My skin or yours?_

She thought for about a minute, then lifted her gaze to Vrae'Jysala. _My skin._ she decided. _Definately._

"I am strong enough for my life and for the gifts." she declared in a soft but undeniably strong voice. "I will prove it."

"Then do so."

Mina steeled herself, then raised her arm and brought it down. The whip cracked and hissed, the scaly bodies slapping the child's dark skin, the fangs raking long scratches where they zoomed over the child, then finging a hold and sinking in. The child screamed, bloody and bruised. The scream raised something in Mina.

She had power.

She could inflict pain upon this child. She held the power whether to stop it now or to keep going. She, who had never tasted power before, found its sweet taste in her mouth, and enjoyed it.

She raised the whip, and again felt the rush of exultment as it cracked, heard the wordless proclemation of her power in the boy's screams. She kept at it, heared the whistling of rushiong air in her ears, and found that she did not care at all for the child's pain.

Finally, she stopped. No sense in killing the boy. Looking at his bloody form, she felt a twinge of simpathy, a twinge of concience, but it nowherecompared to the power she had wielded over him, if only for a short time. She raised her eyes, feeling somewhat triumphant, to look to Vrae'Jysala. She dimly heard the applause of her sisters, but it seemed to dim in her ears.

"Have I proved my strength?" she questioned.

Vrae'Jysala smiled cruelly and nodded. "You have. Come forward."

Mina did so, stepping over her brother's huddled, shivering form. Vrae'Jysala snapped the necklace around her throat as LiNeerithra slipped on the ring. Arduldriira came forward and removedher prizedwhip from Mina's bloody hands, presenting Mina with the twin maces.

"You have earned them."

Mina looked at the two weapons, resting in her bloodstained hands,and smiled. Her eyes, once so soft, were now hard as she admired them, taking no heed of her sobbing brother crouched and huddled on the blood floor behind her.

* * *

_You have to understand: Mina is EVIL. EVIL. This story in part shows the transformation from an innocent drow child to a cruel High Priestess. Sorry, little male child whom I'll have to make up a name for . . . _

_Please review! I'm sorry if there are any spelling or grammer mistakes, the spellcheck on thsi computer has gone cablooy, can you believe it did not recognize the word 'it'?_

_Anyyyyywayyy . . . please tell me what you thought of this._


	5. Cold Steel

_Disclaimer: Usstan xun naut ehmtu lil Drow xor Faerukkin d'lil Coast. Usstan xun naut ehmtu jalbol! Kampi'un? Nau'shindcal kulten._

_(No Drow word for 'coast')_

_Well, um, now that that's out of the way, switching back to English now. Those of you who have absolutely no idea of what I just wrote, go to my homepage. You'll kampi'un._

_And I'd like to make some things clear: _

_Uss, when I upload my documents, the computer likes to takecertain spaces in between the words and annihilates them. Very annoying. Now, I don't know why the computer does this, but I try to find all the non-spaces and put a space between them, but when I save the spaces disappear again. _

_Grrr. If I don't get all of them, please just ignore it. _

_Draa, I type fast, and as I mentioned before, the spellchecker has been having some problems, as my sister, who's seven, wrote a bunch of mispelled words (like Teh and lik and thay) onto the computer and Added them all. GRRRRRRR! _

_**Quarval'sharess, vel'bol xun Usstan inbal ulu xun?** _

_Well, anyway, now the durned thingy doesn't catch my spelling mistakes, and when Ireview my stuff before I stick it upthrough I miss some. Also, I am very BAD at spelling, as my spelling tests prove._

_Dro xuil ol. (Live with it.)_

_So PLEASE stop with all the flaming on these two subjects! I appreciate the fact that you all are trying to help me improve my writing, but hearing the same thing over and over again, espeically when I can do little about it (I tried going through with my mom's big college dictionary, but it took wayyy to long and the print was so tiny and faded it gave me a major headache while trying to decipher it) is very, very, very ANNOYING!_

_Ahem. Please read, and my eternal gratitude to all those who review (hint). _

Chapter Five

Cold Steel

Mina sat alone, in the room that had been her home for nine, ten years, now. Today she would be leaving it. Kneeling on the cold stone floor, she examined her treasures, her _earned_ treasures. The maces swung awkwardly in her hand - she had no idea how to use them - and the jewelry glittered in the lavender light, drawing her eye to their sparkle.

How lovely.

And they were _hers._

She, however, had no time to brood on her prizes, or the cost of such prizes. Sighing, she packed her items and took a minute to make sure the idol was perfect. Tapping her trunk - which rose up on eight spindly-looking but undeniably strong spider legs and scurried after her - she stood and walked calmly out the door, following Arduldriira.

They exited the room and turned left down a narrow, winding passageway, then right onto a larger corridor, then down to a lower floor (both drow levitated, while the trunk scurried down a stairway), which turned out to be a circuler corridor that led to an octagonal room made of black stone with dark-colored doors.Arduldriira walked right across the room and knocked on the door exactly opposite herself.

"Come, child. Don't be afraid." she chuckled, then added, "Nalrysin, the Weapons Master, and your elder - but not eldest - brother, won't bite. Slash, maybe. Cut, maybe. But never bite. Nalrysin does not settle for so crude a method."

Mina stepped forward uncertainly, her fears far from dispelled, and unable to surpress a shiver.

There was a click, then the door swung open. Nodding, Arduldriira stepped foward. This time, instead of waiting for Mina, she caught the girl's wrist and dragged her along like a disobedient male. Once inside, she let go, and Mina rubbed her wrist.

"Don't dally, you silly girl." she remarked, and Mina's skin burned with embarressment and humiliation._ Silly girl_?

They stepped into a large square room. It's walls were bare and cold, it's ceiling dark with shadows, it's floor was smooth, cold stone. The room had a sense of hushed lonliness, and in the back of her mind Mina could swear she heard the clash of adamtite ringing in the room. She stayed very still behind her amber-eyed sister, head down. Why, she didn't paticularily know.

Arduldriira seemed either not to notice the room's demenor, or simply not to care. Mina supposed it was the latter. The powerful, beautiful High Priestess seemed somehow above caring. Sweeping into the room, she called out gaily, "Little brother? Exuse me . . . Weapons Master of House Qed'Vursys? Come on out, I can see you."

Mina felt a brush of air on her cheek, then cried out in shock and fear as two slender hands gripped her shoulders in an iron grasp. "Reflexes need tuning up. We'll have to work on that."

The voice was a melodic alto and smooth as glass, but with an undeniable edge of cockiness, of sure confidence, of mocking laughter, as was the male's smirk. Mina watched him as he stepped gracefully around her, throwing his piwafwi off one shoulder in a rakish manner and bowing equally gracefully. "High Priestess, Ssin'urn Uss, to whom do I owe this great honor to? You grace me with your holy presence, dear sister."

Arduldriira, spinning gracefully, walked up to her brother. "You owe the honor to this little copper-haired female here, Nalrysin. And quit with the theatrics, you're fooling no one." though her tones were sweet yet clipped, she smiled nonetheless.

Mina stared hard at her brother from beneath her lashes. He was as she had seen him, so very long ago: tall, almost Arduldriira's height but not quite. Silver chainmail beneath black armor, cunningly crafted and beautifully fitted and bearing the sacred symbol of Lolth, bended as easily as silk when he moved. Two long and slender swords were belted casually on his hips,along with a wickedly sharp dagger, a long and curled whip, a small hand-held crossbow, and two cases of quarrles, along with two healing potions and a potion of cold, all three marked with Lolth's symbol.

He was handsome, for a male. Large, ruby eyes glittered in his face, framed by silky white lashes and satiny dark skin. White hair fell to his shoulders, shorter than most males wore their hair, with a roguish air. His lips were an unusually dark red, and seemed permanently curled in a cocky smirk. He walked with a slight, lithe swagger up to her and bowed slightly.

"Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys." Reaching out, Nalrysin caught her chin in his delicate, gloved hand and stroaked her cheek. "The copper-haired pixy LiNeerithra managed to complain about for ten years. What a pleasure to meet you at last, _Iniul Abbil_! Any one who manages to annoy dear LiNeerithra is an allyin my mind. I am Nalrysin Qed'Vursys, Secondboy and Weapons Master of the exalted House Qed'Vursys." bowing, the male spun away from her, letting his hand slide off her cheek, and adressed Arduldriira again. "How old is she?"

"Twenty-six years old."

"Ah, fresh from the Chapel. What weapons do you want her schooled in, O Exalted One?"

"The mace, the sword, the crossbow - both hand and otherwise - and daggers."

"That is all?"

"Yes. She is to be a priestess, after all."Arduldriira tossed her head, flinging her pearly hair over her shoulder in a flirtatious manner. Nalrysin grinned.

"Of course, O Lovely One. Consider it done. Come back for her in five years' time."

"Knowing you, I will." With a nod, the female turned on heel and glided out the door, closing it with a hollow _click _behind her, leaving Mina alone with this dangerous male.

* * *

They trained daily: first with the twin maces, than with the swords, then the crossbows and the fine art of throwing daggers. Mina learned manuever after maneuver, attack after attack. She and her brother fought, his swords to her maces, adamtite ringing, both of them layered in sweat. Every night she collapsed on the bed, exhasted and worn. 

Not only that, Nalrysin hardened her emotionally as well with gibes and stinging remarks, and, as a younger sibling, Mina was something of a servant to the arrogant male. She brought him meals, cleaned the training room, carried messages back and forth over the level that the room was on, all while forcing her stinging body to move. She was, however, allowed a suficient amount of time for Reverie, so her exhastian purely came from the training.

Nalrysin attacked her relentlessly, slapping her with the stinging flat of a sword whenever she left an opening and doing the same with sharp words. By the time she was done, her body tingled and stung painfully, her hands bled from clutching the weapons, tiny cuts and scraped covered her body, and her eyes ached from trying to follow the rush of his blades, as well as her insides burned with anger and humiliation.

Blades was not all she learned: her body, too, was a weapon, Nalrysin said. Her feet could kick, her elbows dig, her knees bash. Working in harmony with her twin maces, she used these inborn weapons whenever she could.

And she got better. She learned to inticipate attacks and even scored a few minor hits now and them, as the years went on. Nalrysin taught her how to care for her weapons, and every night she dragged her body up from her bed and cleaned her weapons, scrubbing and sharpening.

And she did get better. Four years went by, and she got still better. Nalrysin pitched her against other students, commoners come to learn the basics before entering Tier Breche, and she steadily improved, beating one and then another and learning to take a defeat.

But that was not all she learned. Nalrysin taught her to move silently, to glide from shadow to shadow as easily as anything, to seize every avantage given to her. Avantages were oppertunities: don't miss them.

One day Nalrysin and she were forced to halt their attacks by the enterence of Arduldriira, announced by Jhaelriina. Stepping aside, the female entered, greated with bows from both Nalrysin and Mina. Both were covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and Mina bled from a neat nick on the arm while Nalrysin rubbed a bruise from Mina's carefully aimed kick. Arduldriira stared hard at both of them, nodding. Turtning to Nalrysin, she said only two words: "Show me."

Nalrysin bowed. "Right away, my Lady." Gesturing to Mina, he stepped back a pace and nodded to the watching clerics, who easily levitated into the air to get a better view. Swiping the hair from his face, he grinned at Mina, readying the swords. She hopped into a similar stance, feeling quite uncomfortable with the two drow hovering above them, their robes whispering as the cloth rubbed against itself.

Then Nalrysin came fast, one cut aimed for her throat, the other for her chest. Quickly she blocked both, then, using one mace, swung his weapon aside and attacked hard, aiming for his legs. He blocked, then, using a skillful thrust, nearly took the mace from her grasp.

On and on they went, block, attack, block, attack, each alternatingly taking the defense and offense. The two priestesses, watching, nodded, bobbing slightly in the air, their hair-colorless and heatless in the infraspectrum - dancing along their shoulders and down their backs and waists.

Suddenly, Nalrysin stopped and backed away, smirking. "Not bad," he said, flipping one sword high in the air and, in a single fluid motion, grabbing a handfull of small, glass objects and hurling them at her feet. "for a _inuil jalil_."

Inuil jalil. Little girl.

Rage stung Mina's insides, but she did not allow it to burn her cool away. Leaping high in the air as the glassfire spiders - for indeed that was what the little things were - struck thefloor seconds after her feet left it. Calling upon her natural powers of levitation, the girl floated into the air as fiery, small explosions singed the soles of her boots, the red-gold bursts of flame stinging her eyes painfully. Dimly, she recognized that her cunning brother had closed his own eyes and was up in the air with her, both swords in hand.

Jhaelriina and Arduldriira watched, Jhaelriina with a bit of concern and apprehension,Arduldriira with an impassive amusement.

The swords slashed in, one diving for her throat, the other for her waist. Snapping out her maces, she deflected one sword but did not quite get the other as it jarred her mace and tore a thin red line across her right hip. Angry and frustrated, though unwilling to relinquish her cool to the heat, she brought her foot up and caught the blade squarely, though, since she was in the air, rather than knocking it out of her brother's fingers it merely rammed the blade and whacked Nalrysin's fingers badly.

But not bad enough.

Both swords came back in, as well as her brother's knee. Catching her squarely in the midriff, it slammed her back in the air. One sword banged in, hilt first, slamming into her temple, knocking her sideways. Dazed, she felt the maces slide from suddenly numb fingers as the pain exploded across her head, sharp as any kife. Her body ached where Nalrysin's knee had made contact, and she had the misfortune to have her levitation spell expire at that moment, she being too dazed to maintain it. Down she went, dropping a few feet from the burned stone, several stray peices of glass digging into her skin as she dropped on them. Her head fell sideways, and she knew no more.

Nalrysin touched down next to her, nodding. Arduldriira, following his example, landed lightly at his side, smiling slightly. Jhaelriina, ignored by both of her adopted siblings, staggered as she touched down and knelt beside the unconsious Mina, cradling her head.

"She is decent." Arduldriira nodded. Turning to Nalrysin, she lifted an eyebrow. "Glassfire spiders?"

House Qed'Vursys's Weapons Master nodded and smirked, producing a few from his hidden pocket and presenting them to the priestess. Three or four small glass figures, all in the shape of spider, lay on his dark palm. They were nondescript and one might take them for decoration or simple trinkets but for the small, flickering, red flame in the center of each. Arduldriira nodded, recognizing her brother's trick.

Jhaelriina, on the floor, looked to her superior for instuctions. Arduldriira, noticing this, waved her hand while twisting the fingers to form the word, _heal. _Then she turned back to her brother.

"Do you believe she is ready for Valvyll?"

"Do you believe Valvyll is ready for her?" Nalrysin smirked as he spoke. "She has fire, though tempered by cool, and I daresay that Valvyll'll find her . .. interesting."

Arduldriira laughed.

* * *

_What do you think about this one?_

_Please review!_


	6. Silken Words

_Disclaimer: don't own, ladi-dadi-dee, don't own 'cept MY CHARACTERS._

_Thanks to all reviews and please please read._

Silken Words

_"Izil nind lil'alure harl lil drathir, _

_Nind sila haruk._

_Uk lar ilta abbil_

_Lueth telanth uk orn thir'ku._

_Il lar ukta abbil_

_Jhal uk golhyrr 'sohna."_

Jhaelriina smoothed the girl's hair back from her face. Examining it in the pale light cast by the lamps, the pale, copper-colored tresses shined prettily against the child's dark face. Jhaelriina sighed softly.

She remembered being that young, as young as the dark-faced child before her. She remembered the streets. She remembered the trials she had faced, the obstacles she had overcome, the inner demons she had fought.

She remembered the screams she had heard.

Sighing again, the cleric pushed her own white hair out of her pale, green eyes, and stared down at the girl. Her 'sister.' Her thoughts turned back to another sister she had had, before she had been plucked from the streets . . . and why . . .

"Jhaelriina! Wait for me!" the green-eyed drowling rushed to catch up with her elder sister as the two young females raced through the streets.

"Qilmur'ss!" the elder scolded. "Run faster, if you can't keep up! We have to be home by the time Narbondel reaches it's peak."

Qilmur'ss nodded, her hair flying wildly. "Yes, dalninil, I know."

The two children hurried along the alleys, under the dark stares of so many guards. Shying away from the flickering light of faerie fire, the girls - appearing as a twelve-year-old and a four-year-old to human eyes - ran on, the elder clutching a dirty bag to her chest.

They reached home: a crowded two-story commoner's home in the Bazaar filled with drow, those drow who, like the two girls, were Houseless commoners. Females and males of all ages huddled around tables or in corners, the males with eyes that seemed perpetually lowered, the females with the harried expressions of mothers. Children scrambled everywhere, frantically attempting to stay out from underfoot.

These were merchants or their servants, those who did not live in a House. Jhaelriina recognized Micaraufein Hlamtor, one of the former, and Vuzas, one of the latter. Micaraufein was one of the few to have a last name - most had just their first.

But she must not dally: she must go. Grabbing Qilmur'ss's wrist Jhaelriina tugged and dragged her sister through the crowd to the stairs to the second floor, where those who could afford it slept. Her parents, Rilistor and Zesrae,were servents of the wealthy merchant Chaszven Hun'afin, along with three more drow. The children - three other small ones besides Jhaelriina and Qilmur'ss and two older males - were included among the servants.

Chaszven Hun'afin lived in three rooms of the small six-room space; the other three were divided into the males' room, the females' room, and the kitchen. Jhaelriina had been sent to fetch something - she did not know what - for her Jabbuk. She moved past the males' room and to the females', searching for her Ilhar.

Zesrae, an exceptionally small, thin drow with the poison-green eyes of her children, nodded jerkily at the sight of her eldest female child and held out her hand. "Did you get it?" she snapped.

"Xas, Ilhar." the young girl quickly handed the dirty sack to her mother.

"No problems?" Zesrae turned away from Jhaelriina, not truly caring.

"No, ma'am." Jhaelriina, with childish naivete, replied. Zesrae scowled and left the room, setting the bag down on a table.

From the other room came a crash and a bang and a scream. Jhaelriina ran into the room to see, Qilmur'ss and another young female at her heels. Unnoticed by any of them, Jhaelriina tipped over the spindly table, dropping the small bag into her pocket.

In the small males' room, which housed seven drow - three grown, two adolescent, andtwo children - plus two cots, three bedrolls, and several washing materials and other furniture, was the shattered pieces of a clay basin. Standing over the basin was the elder male child, looking scared. The younger one cowered in a corner. Luaintra, the other adult female, came running past Jhaelriina, took in the situation with a glance and began shouting.

"You idiotic male!" she screamed at the child. "Clumsy! Mal'ai fa'la zatoast!" The child cowered on the floor before her wrath and bent to pick the shredded pieces up.

"Do so!"Luaintra shrilled. "And may they cut you and drive into your thick skull the importance of not running in the house!"

The littler male tried to creep away, but Luaintra caught sight of him and seized his wrist. "Leave! Get out!" looking around, she spied Jhaelriina and hurled the male at her. "You, girl - take this one and the other two and leave!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Jhaelriina hurridly cried, not wanting to give vicious Luaintra cause to yell at her. Grabbing the little male - she recalled his name was Nalztar - in one and and the younger female, Baedrilna, in the other. She sped out of the room with these two in tow and Qilmur'ss running after the trio.

Outside the four wandered around the Bazaar, huddling by walls and lowering their eyes. Jhaelriina did not know when Luaintra would deem it time to return, and the four simply strayed around until, a few hours later, a large group of older drow ran down the street, plowing through the children. Jhaelriina stagged off too the side, clutching the two girls as she fell down.

Getting up, she rubbed her arm where'd she fallen and scowled. Qilmur'ss let out a wail and the other female whimpered. Jhaelriina noticed, with anger, that they were hurt; Qilmur'ss's ankle was twisted slightly and Baedrilna's arm cut. Luaintra would have her head; that was a new shirt!

Jhaelriina suddenly noticed that Nalztar was gone. Swiftly looking around, she took Baedrilna's and Qilmur'ss's wrists in one hand and hauled them off, ignoring their pleas.

"Nalztar!" she called out, searching wildly around, and the two girls joined in. None of them wanted to return to Luaintra without the male servant and risk Chaszven's ire. Or Luaintra's, for that matter.

A scream - the scream of a male child - cut through the air, and Jhaelriina whirled about to see the male lying far off in the street. Releasing the two girls the elder ran to him, taking no heed of the younger females' cries as they ran to keep up with her.

He was injured, stabbed in the stomach. Probably, Jhaelriina reflected sourly, by one of the drow that had separated them. She looked around for some way to heal him, knowing for sure what would happen if she went home without him. She had been beaten once as a little child and had no desire to be beaten again.

She plunged her hands into her pockets - and felt them curl around something. She yanked it out, and felt her eyes widen as she realized what it was. The sack! How, how, howhad it came to be there?

No matter. She'd deal with it later. Ignoring Qilmur'ss's questions of what she had, Jhaelriina opened the bag, heedless of any traps, and dug around.

She produced a wand.

What kind of wand? she thought, but realized, as Nalztar gasped wetly, that it did not matter that much. She pointed it at the child: if it was a wand of fire or ice or something else unpleasent, well, he was dying anyway, and she could say he was blasted by a priestess or wizard. If it was a wand of healing, she could return to her home with all the servent-children at hand and get her supper.

Aiming at the slash, she spoke one word, sincerely hoping it was the trigger; "Yshar!"

As the word - the Drow word for 'heal' - left her lips, so did a black light leave the wand, shooting at Nalztar. The child screamed as flesh knitted back together and blood ceased to flow as the wand healed him.

Jhaelriina sighed in relief - she could return without the fear of being beaten. The sound of running footsteps reached her ears, and the child spun about to see a priestess running - no, gliding, for her feet were not upon the ground - towards her.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"I-I, I took the wand and I pointed it and said 'heal,'" Jhaelriina stammered, taken aback by the drow's interest. What did a Priestess of the Almighty Spider Queen want with a dirty peasent girl?

"Who are you?" the female demanded.

"Jhaelriina, jabbress." Jhaelriina lowered her eyes. "Servant of Chaszven Hun'afin."

"A servant?" murmered the priestess. She drew herself up. "I am LiNeerithra Qed-Vursys, Daughter of House Qed'Vursys . . . come with me."

"But . . . the others . . ."

"No buts." the female scowled. "You are to come with me. No ordinary servant-child could have been able to activate that wand."

Jhaelriina's eyes fell to the shimmering blood-red spider upon the priestess's robes.

"Yes, yathrin." she murmered, following the priestess, leaving Qilmur'ss and Baedrilna standing alone with Nalztar in the streets.

* * *

The Silken Rack rested in the north of the Bazaar, a one-story, low, long building that was separated into two sections: the female section and the male. The large, long pool in which Arduldriira rested was in the female section. 

The room itself was large and hot and humid, with gentle, warm, magical breezes that danced across the scented, oiled water, carrying the delicious sent of spices. The pool was a large oval, with hot, scented water that slid like silk over the bodies of the dark elves that happened to be in it now. Native Underdark vines and plants, pleasing to the drow eye, along with beautiful stone and gem carvings that rested on silver disks that floated on the water, illuminated with dancing faerie fire and soft green glows, drifted by, shedding enough light for the slave children - mostly human females, for no male of any status was allowed in the female section, that crawled around the edges of the pool on the knees, offering spiced wines and delicious morsels of food, as well as ornate bottles of oils and scented water, to the drow resting in the pool - to see by, yet little enough for the drow to remain comfortably in infravision, if they so desired.

Only three drow rested in the pool this day; Arduldriira, white hair spreading out in soft waves, naked legs treading water, rested on the cushioned side of the pool, all but her neck and head submerged in water; Vrae'Jysala, gliding silently from spot to spot; and LiNeerithra, nervously moving her arms and legs in slow circles as she went. Of the three drow, only Arduldriira was truly relaxed - Vrae'Jysala was close, while LiNeerithra was on tension's edge. The three waited.

"Do you believe this is wise?" LiNeerithra inquired Arduldriira in the drow tongue. The slave children, unable to speak drow, could not understand and therefor could not repeat, thus she spoke in normal tones.

"_Xas_." the relaxed drow opened her eyes halfway, gazing with amusement at the impatient drow while lazily windmilling her legs. "Relax, _dalninil_. You are on edge. Enjoy this, for Lolth's sake! It's perfectly wise."

"How so?"

"You never give up, do you?" Arduldriira signaled one of the slave children, a human girl of about eight or nine with nondescript brown hair and white, flaky skin that longed for the sunlight. The girl hastily crawled over to the drow, moving on her scraped knees, her head bowed. Reaching Arduldriira, she lowered her chest to the stone floor, arms extended in a grovel.

The drow priestess waved her hand and spoke in the girl's slavish tongue. "More wine, _rivvil wanre_, the dark red kind. And ready for another who will be here soon. Meanwhile, bring some more _ssinjin challin. _See to it that it arrives swiftly. I do not like to be kept waiting."

The girl nodded enthusiastically, rising back up but remaining on her knees and bowing low as she went.

Vrae'Jysala watched the girl scuttle away with amused eyes. "Who else is arriving, may I ask?"

"A friend, _dalninil_. That is all you need to know." Arduldriira selected a glass bottle from a selection that another slave girl held and motion to the girl, this one with short yellow hair and large dark eyes of about ten years. The slave swiftly removed the stopper and poured the golden-amber oil onto her hands, scrubbed pink and clean by the overseer, and began to rub Arduldriira's shoulders and neck with her oiled hands. Though no masseur, the girl's touch was gentle, if clumsy, and Arduldriira savored it as much as she would.

Vrae'Jysala sipped a cup of dark green, spiced wine, rolling it on her tongue. "Does Matron Phyrbreena know we are here?"

"What the Ilharess does not know won't harm her." Arduldriira replied. She motioned to another slave, this one a gnomish girl with a decanter of wine. The girl crawled over, and Arduldriira eyed her a moment before half-lifting herself from the pool and selecting a vial from under her towel. Unstopping the vial, which was full of black liquid, she poured a few drops into the wine.

"You would be advised to serve only this wine for this meeting." she informed the surprised girl in her own Gnomish tongue. Settling back in the water, she waved the girl aside and turned to her sisters. "And you would be advised not to drink from that decanter."

Vrae'Jysala, hardly surprised and cooly in control, merely nodded and resumed her bath. LiNeerithra raised a snowy eyebrow but accepting this turn with a shrug.

"Ah." Arduldriira grinned wickedly. "I believe that is her now . . . all in place?"

Vrae'Jysala, for all the world looking the part of the innocent observer, nodded, her dark maroon eyes half-closed as she allowed herself to drift beneath the oiled, hot water for a moment, her skin glistening in the light of the faerie fire. LiNeerithra looked slightly more uneasy that the other two, but shrugged again. These two had been playing this game for decades. She was simply here to learn, she reflected as she tucked her item beneath her own pillow.

And not a minute too soon. Another slave, this one a cross between a gnome and a human, entered, and with her a young female. Vrae'Jysala studied her from beneath her lashes; the girl was small and gangly, lacking grace and beauty. And obviously wisdom, if she was so naieve as to simply walk into the spiders' web.

And the spiders had venom.

"First Daughter Drisnolu Tovsr'raen, welcome." Arduldriira flashed a gleaming smile at the girl, she hesitatingly grinned back. Viewing her in the light of the faerie fires, LiNeerithra lifted a sculpted hand to her face to hide her disgust. This female was lacking in the beauty section as well as the wisdom, she reflected. With her too-long ears, skin that was an unhealthy dark grey instead of the usual shining black, pale red eyes, and pale yellow hair that hung down in straggly waves, Drisnolu was not exactly the epitome of feminine beauty.

Ignorant of this, the girl - she was not even out of the Academy! - cautiously slipped into the pool, shedding her clothes in an unseemly pile on the edge. LiNeeithra noted that she was skinny as well.

"May I introduce myself." Arduldriira lazily waved her hand through the water. "I am Arduldriira, Second Daughter of House Qed'Vursys, Eleventh House of Menzoberranzan. This is my sister, Vrae'Jysala, and my adopted sister, LiNeerithra."

The silly Tovsr'raen nodded and smiled.

"Wine?" Vrae'Jysala suggested lazily, motioning to the gnome, who came forward with the decanter. Again the Tovsr'raen nodded, and took the cup in trembling hands, drowing it in one gulp. Vrae'Jysala wrinkled her nose, wondering if the girl was unlucky enough to have human ancestors.

"So, Drisnolu . . . tell us of your plans, your House. Is it as beautiful as they say?" LiNeerithra asked politely.

"Oh, yes!" Drisnolu nodded. "Quite lovely. Prettier than yours."

LiNeerithra stiffened slightly and Vrae'Jysala narrowed her eyes at the insult. Arduldriira, ignoring it, waved her hand.

"I have heard of your lovely gate."

"I should think you have. It's the prettiest one in Menzoberranzan, carved with Lolth's grace."

_Lack of beauty combined with pride and vainity. Not a good combination, girl. _Vrae'Jysala thought.

"Aren't they all?" Arduldriira smiled that winning, gleaming smile that had beguiled so many. "But I understand that we have House merchants that wish to buy from your House. How are they to get in?"

"That is easy!" Drisnolu smirked. "Simply say, 'And to Lolth does only Lolth appear!' "

Arduldriira, in any other case, would have throught this simply too easy. However,since the girl's naievete was helped along by the truth potion, it was understandable. She inclined her head ever-so-slightlyas Vrae'Jysala, unnoticed, completed her spell and shook her head. The stupid wretch wasn't lying, apparently.

That was all Arduldriira needed to know. Bowing her head defferently, she grinned. "Those who reveal their secrets are revealed themselves, you do know."

"Yes, of cour-" Drisnolu stopped abruptly, gasping. Her eyes locked and she slid upwards, onto the floor.

"I accept no accolades." Vrae'Jysala remarked as she ran her knife along the girl's arm, the blade stained with blood. "Too easy."

"She was too ugly to keep as a prize." LiNeerithra remarked.

"No loss." Arduldriira remarked. "Indeed, Ibelieve theSpider Queen may be pleased that we have rid her ranks of this wretched girl. She was weak."

"And stupid." LiNeerithra scowled.

"Burn her." instructed Arduldriira indifferently. "I don't appreciate blood in my bath."

Vrae'Jysala did as she was told, watching idly as the dark flames engulf the body, burning away even the ashes, leaving only a charred spot on the floor.

"Now, sisters," Arduldriira grinned, sinking down in the pool. "Let's enjoy this bath."

* * *

_Ahh . . . sorry about lack of updates. See my profile._

_I forgot which House House Qued'Vursys was so I put in 'eleventh.' _

_Please review! And yes, it IS supposed to be 'accession' not 'asension.' The Priestesses are accessing a new adult. For lack of better title._


	7. Secret Mission

_Language: Vendui' is drow for 'hello.' It is pronounced ven-du-ee (the ' after the i makes an 'ee' sound). Lle'isgar is drow for 'rise.'_

_The poem at the opening is mine, written by me, claimed by me, and, again, MINE!_

_Those of you who are familiar with the drow language will note that their is a drow word, 'mina,' which means 'them.' Related words are 'minasien' and 'minasienal' which mean 'mystic' and 'mystical.'_

_Just something to think on._

**Secret Mission.**

_Moonless night of countless prayers_

_Torn from lips of those who cry and sing_

_Deep into the night; when not even the naysayers_

_Can deny what comfort this torture brings_

_For it is embraced within the night_

_When tears are dried and pain is soothed_

_For we are those unblinded by the light_

_And even the hypocrites cannot help but be moved_

_To tears; for they do not know what it is_

_To kneel and sacrifice all that you cared for_

_Once, repent; we shall not do this_

Redemptionis unbelieved by They, and we even the score.

Minalylrisse jumped to silent attention in a rigid bow as the two drow females entered the room. Greyayne stood, her lips compressed sternly as she studied the drowling before her, while LiNeerithra nodded and cast her eyes around the little room. After Mina's completion of her study with swords before she entered Arach-Tinilith, she had returned to the room she had lived in for ten years after her adulthood ceremony to wait . . . for what, she was not sure.

"Vendui', sister." LiNeerithra greeted Mina after a moment. "Lle'isgar. We wish to see your pretty face."

Mina rose and stood stoicly, eyes on the floor. LiNeerithra nodded again;she had hoped the child wasn't scarred. That might reflect badly on her sibling's child-teaching abilities.

No, still as beautiful as always - in a spindly, childish way. Well, thought LiNeerithra, she has one bit down.

"Come with me, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys." she bade the girl. "We wish to . . . speak . . . with you about some matters. Some _private _matters."

The trio left the room, moving swiftly away from it. Mina faithfully followed the elder females as they trekked up and down what seemed to the young drow to be the entire Underdark as they made their way through the halls. Gliding smoothly down a level, they lightly landed and Mina realized, with a pang of dread and thrill of excitement,where they we going.

The Temple of Lolth.

LiNeerithra brushed past the two female guards, sweeping smoothly into the Chapel, purplish robes haloing her frame. Mina followed, with Greyayne at the rear.

There, seated upon the stone steps near the Matron Mother's throne, were the daughters of House Qed'Vursys.

Arduldriira, calm as always, sat before the throne, hands folded neatly in lap and eyes upon the entering trio. To her left was an empty space, avacancy that LiNeerithra soon filled. To her right was Vrae'Jysala, a fell smile playing upon her lips as Greyayne joined Jhaelriina at LiNeerithra's left. Shricice and Matron Mother Phyrbreena were absent. No Lamps lit the room; Mina's eyes remained in infravision.

And Mina remained standing.

"Vendui', sister." Arduldriira began in as warm a tone as she could make. "How lovely it is for you to join us. No trouble, LiNeerithra?"

"Nau." LiNeerithra quirked her lips into a smile.

"Beautiful _and_ obedient." Arduldriira remarked with a smile. "Wonderful combination in the young."

Beside her, Vrae'Jysala chuckled softly. Mina said still nothing, eyes on the floor.

"Well, enough compliments." Arduldriira sat forward suddenly, red-glowing eyes intense. "We called you here for a reason, _dalhar, _as you can most likely guess."

Mina remembered, with a needle-sharp prick of icy fear, that Lolth's ceremonies were always held in darkness.

She had no desire to witness one of Lolth's dark ceremonies.

"You are to begin your five-year magical training before you enter Tier-Breche." Arduldriira continued, and Mina let out a soft sigh she had no idea she'd been holding. Vrae'Jysala's lips curled at that sigh, and Arduldriira's eyes glowed all the brighter with pleasure.

"You, of course, will be instructed by the wizard of our House; in this case, that is Valvyll Qed'Vursys, a hot-headed male, twin to Shricice, elder of our circle."

There was a small, collective gasp at the last words; the fact that Valvyll, who was something of anembarrassment to the House, was twin to Shricice, the second most powerful priestess of Lolth in the House, was a fact not simply given to young drowlings!

"Sisters, sisters." Arduldriira waved her hand dismissively. "I will speak frankly; Valvyll is arrogant, Minalylrisse. He is too ambitious. But he is male, and thus he cannot rise higher than the position he now occupies. Instead of fortifying that position, defending it, reinforcing it, he recklessly strives to attain unreachable heights." Arduldriira leaned closer. "This we must not have!"

Mina was silent, eyes wide.

"You are to become his student?" Arduldriira continued, laughing. "You are a female of House Qed'Vursys! Minalylrisse, you are one of us. You are to become a High Priestess of the Spider Queen; if you survive, that is. Listen to me, drowling; Valvyll is bitter and overly arrogant. He will assert his eldership by beating you down, hurting you, harming you, venting his hatred and anger and frustration upon you. This cannot be. You are female; he is a _male_." Arduldriira spat the word like it was filth. "Do let him do this is a serious insult to the Spider Queen!"

Leaning back, the elder priestess regarded her sisters with all seriousness. "He is guilty of blasphemy."

Mina gasped softly, eyes flying open in shock.

"He would desecrate a mortal incarnation of Lolth; he _has_ desecrated females, mortal incarnations of Lolth! The only reason he has not been Driderturned is the fact that we have never had any solid evidence, and we need that evidence."

Mina closed her mouth, nodding.

"We want you to spy on him."

Arduldriira paused dramatically, staring at the young female. "Minalylrisse, you are to come to us if you see anything concerning blasphemy in his quarters; you are to come to us if he, in any way, abuses his position or your position as a female. Am I understood?"

Mina swallowed. "Yes, mistress."

"And," Vrae'Jysala put in with her customary coolness. "if you should have trouble locating us, use the _May'salkiriis_, the Nightshadow. This is a power held in the stone that has just been placed into your pocket; merely touch it and think a message exactly or less than twenty-four words long, and we will know. Are we clear?"

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, mistresses."

"Good. I should hate to have you turned to dust." Arduldriira stated cooly. "Begone, now. Jhaelriina, lead her away."

Jhaelriina bowed and departed, Minalylrisse on her heels, one hand feeling the stone in her pocket. Once the priestess was gone, the remaining drow females leaned forward together.

"Well, sisters." Arduldriira smiled coldly, eyes flashing with sudden light. "I appears that we can use that female for some productive, after all."

"But what will happen when Valvyll is . . . ah . . . disposed of?" Greyayne dared to ask. "He is our House wizard."

Arduldriira waved her hand neglectantly. "That has all been taken care of. Our youngest sibling - that whining male we used to test Minalylrisse with five or so years ago - shows aptitude for the wizard's arts. And you, ladies, sisters, should know; our mother, the esteemed Matron Phyrbreena, expects a child in eight month's time."

"Three children in less than thirty years." remarked LiNeerithra. "It is unheard of."

"It is a blessing of the Spider Queen!" declared Vrae'Jysala imperiously. "It is not our place to question it!"

"No." Arduldriira agreed. "It is not. Children strengthen our House; that is all we need now care about."

"Does Matron Phyrbreena know of this?" Greyayne dared to ask.

"Silence!" Ardudriira declared. Her eyes glittered coldly. "Sisters, what we say here may not pass beyond these walls! What Matron Phyrbreena does not know will not hurt her."

"But what of Shricice?" Vrae'Jysala put in calmly. The priestesses shuddered; with the lesser priestesses of the House unified, they could easily overthrow Matron Phyrbreena. However, Shricice was an entirely different matter.

"If our esteemed elder sister does not know of our schemes, then she does not have to." Arduldriira said softly."But I do not doubt that she _does_ know, ladies, and I do not doubt that she will be place at the . . . ah . . . let us say, _removal _of Valvyll."

Vrae'Jysala chuckled. "Treachery is the way of Lolth, is it not, dear cousin?"

Greyayne flushed for all eyes to see. "I was merely expressing my concern-"

"And you had every right to." Arduldriira cut in smoothly. "Now, Greyayne, we have business elsewhere that we need completed. Leave us."

Her tone said, _don't let the door smash you on the way out_.

Greyayne's eyes flared with anger, but she caught her tongue, not daring to argue. Rising stiffly, she bowed, her voice taut with sharp fury. "Of course, Second Sister. I take my leave now."

Vrae'Jysala and LiNeerithra watched with amused eyes as the proud, pale-eyed female exited the room. Arduldriira shrugged.

"And now, ladies." she began, addressing the two remaining priestesses. "We can talk."


End file.
